The present invention is in the field of skiing and, more specifically, deals with a new and improved construction of safety ski binding for enabling release of the ski boot from the ski during those situations where the skier's leg is subjected to undesired loads where a binding release action is desired.
This particular field of technology is familiar with safety ski bindings incorporating a release or sole plate secured to a ski boot, the release plate cooperating at its front and rear with resiliently yielding locking elements rendering possible a binding release action both in an upward as well as lateral direction. The function of the release plate is to provide favorable constant release conditions, that is, to maintain as low and constant as possible the coefficient of friction between the ski boot sole and the underlying support or ski. By virtue of the constant low coefficient of friction such type ski bindings incorporating a release plate which can be released in all directions not only provide favorable release action for dangerous loads or forces which may arise during a fall of the skier, but also provide such favorable release conditions even in the presence of non-dangerous loads or impacts arising during normal skiing, that these impacts or loads can in fact lead to faulty release of the binding.
Apart from the above it is difficult to adjust the front and rear resiliently biased locking elements and to mutually correlate or adjust the locking element springs such that release of the release plate, notwithstanding the manifold influences arising in all possible combinations during a fall of the skier, will always take place in an optimum manner for the momentarily encountered conditions. This is especially the case if different types of loads, so-called combination or combined loads, for example bending and torsion simultaneously act upon the leg of the skier. Although it is desired, in fact actually required, that in the presence of such loads the lateral release occur with a reduced release moment of rotation, it can happen that the lateral release moment actually increases in the presence of a combined load, for instance owing to shifting of the weight instead of the more favorably located locking element responding the other locking element responds. However, if attempts are made to counter such unfavorable situations by appropriately adjusting the locking elements then it is again possible for faulty binding release to occur. Moreover, there is also to be taken into account the fact that a fine adjustment of the locking spring and therefore also a fine change in the momentary adjustment is difficult to carry out since with a change in the spring force there is not only changed the force with which the locking elements retain the release plate upon the ski, but to a large extent there are also altered the characteristics of the ski binding.